When The Levee Breaks
by AlexForrest5
Summary: Col. Mayer gets his ultimate revenge on Luke... and Luke strikes back. WARNING: violence, strong language. A story from a few years ago that I'm now uploading here. Hope you enjoy my work - feedback is super-appreciated, including constructive criticism.
1. Chapter 1

_Col. Mayer raised the knife with a maniacal grin. "I've waited a long time to do this, oh yes… you've caused a lot of trouble, boy."_

_Luke was strapped down, struggling in vain. "Stay away from me!" he yelled in terror._

_Noah tried to lurch forward, to knock his father out of the way and free Luke, but he found that he couldn't move… he was like a spectator, only able to observe, not intervene._

_And then the Colonel plunged his blade into Luke's chest. Luke's scream of pain was the most horrifying thing Noah had ever heard, but he was still immobile, incapable of doing anything to help his boyfriend. Then the Colonel was twisting the knife, sadistically relishing the sound of Luke screaming._

_"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Noah was now screaming too, for watching this was tantamount to being sliced and tortured by the knife himself. "No! Nooooo…"_

Noah bolted upright, his heart rate and breathing out of control, his body covered in cold sweat. After several seconds, he was able to will himself to calm down. He looked around the dark room… this was Luke's bedroom, and he was in Luke's bed. He quickly glanced sideways, and sure enough, Luke was lying right next to him – sleeping peacefully, in fact, in stark contrast to how Noah was feeling at the moment.

He pressed a hand to his forehead, his breaths still as labored as if he'd just finished a marathon, his heart still hammering against his ribcage. This had obviously been a nightmare. But why was he having nightmares about his father? Noah sighed. It had to be the movie. Col. Mayer had been dead for over a year, and Noah had moved on; his decision to dig into the past and dedicate much of his movie to life with his father was obviously the reason the Colonel had resurfaced in his subconscious.

_He's gone_, Noah told himself firmly. _Dead. He can never hurt Luke or anyone else again. Enough of this._ He had a frustrating feeling that going back to sleep now would not be so easy. He contemplated going out for a walk to clear his head, the way characters did in the movies, but for some reason he didn't want to leave Luke alone right now. With another sigh, Noah lay back down and slung a protective arm around his sleeping boyfriend.

*

"Dr. Lange," said Col. Mayer, offering his hand to shake. "It's good to meet you again."

"You too, Colonel," said the bald, beady-eyed man as he briefly shook the Colonel's hand, "But unless I'm mistaken, you're supposed to be dead."

The Colonel smirked. "I needed to throw off the police and the FBI, that was all."

"Well, you obviously did a good job," said Dr. Lange, "Nobody knows you're alive. But why tempt fate like this? You should leave the country as long as you have a chance, Winston."

"Oh, I will," Col. Mayer assured him. "I just have some unfinished business here, or else I wouldn't have come back to this town in the first place. And for that, I need your help."

The other man's eyes narrowed. "I wish I could help you out of the kindness of my heart, but as you know, I'm a fugitive now too. Can't go around risking my neck for nothing. What's in it for me?"

At this, The Colonel picked a brown briefcase off the floor and opened it, revealing that it was filled with hundred-dollar bills. "That's six grand, you're welcome to count it yourself… wasn't easy to get, either."

Dr. Lange grinned. "Fair enough. So what is it that brings you back to Oakdale?"

"My son, Noah," said the Colonel. "And his -" his face contorted in disgust. "- _friend_, a boy named Luke Snyder. He has corrupted my son, turned him against me… and he needs to pay."

"You want me to kill that kid?" Dr. Lange raised an eyebrow. "You don't need me for that, do you?"

"Oh, no," Col. Mayer breathed maliciously, "I've got something much worse planned for him."

*

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Noah closed his truck's door behind him and began walking through Old Town, which seemed empty in the early morning hour. _I hate it when I have to open the place_, he thought as he headed towards Java.

Since he'd gotten up early, he hadn't had the chance to tell Luke about his nightmare yet. After mulling it over on his way to work, though, Noah had decided not to say anything. He knew what a worrywart Luke could be; he had the feeling that if he brought this up, Luke would get all concerned about the emotional baggage Noah's carrying and how making the film might not have been the best idea, etcetera. Noah didn't want to open up that can of worms… the two of them were happier than they'd been in a long time. Plus, Luke and his biological father Damien were getting along better, the summer break was just around the corner, and everything was great. No reason to spoil that by bringing up some horrifying nightmare that obviously didn't mean any –

Noah's train of thought was cut off when, out of the blue, he felt a stab in his right shoulder. He was suddenly feeling weaker and involuntarily fell to his knees. With a lot more effort than it should have taken, he turned his head around ninety degrees to find a syringe buried in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about this, son," whispered a familiar voice from behind him, "But it's the only way to save you now… you've left me with no alternative."

_DAD? What the hell - ?_

Completely freaked out now, Noah tried to hold on, but it was no use; clearly, whatever he'd been injected with was already working its way through his system. A couple more seconds, and everything faded to black.

*

"Noah, please call me when you get this, alright? Love you."

Luke grumbled and tossed his cellphone on the sofa in the Snyders' living room. "I don't get it, Dad. Why isn't he picking up?"

"I think you might be getting a little paranoid," said Holden patiently. "People don't answer their phones sometimes… there's no reason to jump to conclusions."

"Dad, the last time something like this happened, Noah was being held hostage, alright?" Luke all but threw his hands up in frustration. "I think I have the _right_ to be a little paranoid."

"But haven't you talked to him today?" Holden asked.

Luke shook his head. "He left early this morning and I didn't want to interrupt him at work… I think I've been doing enough of that lately. But he should have been home like an hour ago." He sank into the sofa with a dejected look on his face.

"I'm sure everything's alright," said Holden calmly, giving his son's shoulder a brief, reassuring squeeze. "Anyway," he continued, "I have to go, I'm meeting your mother for lunch at the Lakeview. I'll see you later."

"Alright, bye," said Luke in a small voice. As Holden began to head towards the door, Luke's phone suddenly rang. Luke quickly grabbed it and was relieved when he saw the caller ID.

"It's Noah," he told his father brightly.

Holden paused at the doorway and smiled. "See? Tell him I said hi."

"Will do." Luke picked up his phone as Holden exited the house. "Hey, I've been waiting for you to call!"

"Well, I sincerely doubt that."

Luke felt as though an iron fist had suddenly grabbed his heart, crushing it with its tight grip. This was not Noah's voice. It was another voice, one that brought back horrible memories, that was supposed to be gone forever… yet here it was.

"Col. Mayer?" Luke gasped.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" said the Colonel pleasantly. "And I hadn't even paid you the courtesy of letting you know I was alive… my apologies."

The air seemed to be gone from Luke's lungs. For a moment, rational thought was beyond him. Then he realized something. It wasn't just that Col. Mayer was alive… _he had Noah's phone_.

"Where's Noah?" he demanded, doing the best he could to stop his voice from shaking, but not having much success. "What did you do to him?"

"Noah is no longer a concern of yours," the Colonel replied in a calm voice. "You ruined his life… and now, thanks to you, he's gone."

That iron fist was getting tighter. Luke struggled against it.

"_No_," he said, shivering as he did, "You didn't – _you didn't kill him_…"

"That's right," the Colonel snapped without hesitation, "You did. All I did was put him out of his misery."

He hung up, leaving Luke with nothing more than the horror of silence on the other end.

Tbc…


	2. Chapter 2

_No. You didn't – you didn't kill him…"_

_"That's right. You did. All I did was put him out of his misery."_

The words echoed in Luke's head cruelly, mercilessly, relentlessly.

During a heated argument, Noah had once commented that Luke didn't know what hell was. Now Luke certainly knew.  
He lay in his bed, crying for hours, until it felt like he had no more tears to shed. This reality was incomprehensible, yet it was staring him in the face, impossible to deny… Noah was gone, had been torn away from him forever. And on top of everything, Luke realized deep down that Col. Mayer had a point. Noah was dead because of him. If Noah hadn't met Luke, he would still be closeted, miserable and lonely, perhaps… but alive.

He hadn't even interrupted his parents at lunch to tell them the news. They came home to find Luke a sobbing mess. Struggling to even put the words together as he cried, he finally told them. For all the consolation Luke found in their long embraces and comforting words, he might as well have said nothing.

Luke's mom and dad took it upon themselves to tell the rest of his family and friends about Noah. It wasn't long before a parade of visitors swarmed into the Snyder house – such as both of Luke's grandmothers, his aunts Meg and Lucy, Damian even – but he shut himself up in his room and instructed his parents to say that he didn't want to see anyone. That was the truth. He didn't need their half-assed attempts to make him feel better. He had lost the love of his life… there was nothing they could say, nothing they could do. Nothing.

He barely registered it when there was a knock on the door. Luke didn't bother answering, not even having the strength to point out that he wanted to be left alone. He heard the door open, though he did not turn his head in its direction.

"Sweetie?" he heard Lily say tentatively.

Luke groaned and turned on his side to face her. "What, Mom?" he said, his tone almost aggressive. He didn't mean to be rude like this, but he couldn't help it. Manners were about the last thing he gave a shit about right now.

"I just thought you could use something to eat," she said gently, indicating a tray she had laid on the dresser. There was a plate with a piece of toast on it and a glass of water.

"I'm not hungry, thanks," he said in a hollow voice.

She pursed her lips, looking like she didn't know what to say. "Are you sure? You haven't eaten anything since this morn – "

Before he knew what he was doing, Luke pushed himself into a sitting position and yelled, "_I said I'm not hungry, _alright_?_!"

This was followed by a rather stunned silence. Lily looked unnerved by her son's outburst. Luke finally broke down and began sobbing again. "I'm sorry – I-I-I'm sorry…"

Lily quickly sat on the bed next to him and gathered him in her arms, her eyes beginning to water as well. "Sweetheart, it's okay…"

"It's not…" Luke wept into her shoulder, shaking all over. "_It's not_… how am I gonna live without him, Mom? Why didn't the Colonel just kill me instead? I'm the one he hated so much…"

"I don't want to hear you talk like that, ever," Lily said firmly, though she was clearly struggling to hold it together as well.

Luke continued crying until it seemed, once again, that his eyes were unable to produce any more tears. He wondered how long it would last this time. His mother eventually pulled away from him and quietly said, "Anything you need, your father and I are here for you. Everyone is. Please remember that."

"Okay," Luke sniffed, "But I don't really think there's anything you guys can do for me, Mom."

She seemed to be putting extra effort into not crying herself, and stroked his hair briefly, before getting to her feet and leaving the room.

Luke lay back down on his side, pondering what he'd told his mother about how he'd rather have had the Colonel kill him. Selfish, sure, but true. Every second of living since he'd learned Noah was dead felt like torture… he was trapped in a nightmare, in a world of agony. He didn't know what death felt like, but he was willing to bet it was better than what he was currently going through.

He closed his eyes, casting his mind back to Noah lying with him in this bed just last night, making love to him. He realized he remembered what that feeling was like – he was never going to forget it – but with that, came the crushing knowledge that he was never going to experience it again. His sweet, kind, loving Noah was gone.

Meanwhile, Col. Winston Mayer was out there, not only alive but free… probably laughing over how he'd cold-bloodedly murdered his faggot of a son –

In a flash, Luke jumped out of his bed, grabbed his bedside lamp and began bashing it against the wall as hard as he could. He did it over and over and over again, shattering as much as he could of the lamp until it fell out of his grasp onto the floor. He stood there, hardly breathing… the grief he'd been feeling just moments ago was suddenly gone, had vanished to make room for a rush of fury like which he'd never felt before. It coursed through his veins, filling every fiber of his body, his being. It felt poisonous.

Yet at the same time, it gave him a newfound strength and clarity of mind. Luke sat back down, suddenly very focused. It would be stupid to keep lying here and cry over Noah's death, when he could actually do something useful, when there was still unfinished business to deal with. Winston Mayer was still alive… still breathing air, thinking he could take away the love of Luke's life, and helpless little boy Luke would just take it lying down.

Luke's features hardened. _Think again_.

Tbc…


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Luke found Damian typing at the computer in his office. The door was open, but Luke knocked anyway to get his attention.

Damian looked up and immediately stopped typing. "Luciano." He got up and walked around his desk to put his hands on Luke's shoulders. "I came to see you yesterday, but – "

"I'm sorry, I wasn't really in the mood to see anyone," Luke said truthfully.

"There's no need to apologize. I can't imagine what you must be going through," Damian said sympathetically, "You have my condolences… Noah was an extraordinary young man."

"Yeah, he was," agreed Luke in a somber tone.

Damian sighed and removed his hands from Luke's shoulders. "If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know."

Luke hesitated, but only briefly. "Damian… I don't know if I can explain this to you, but… it's hard enough to lose Noah. I can't – I just _can't_ – deal with the fact that his killer is still free."

"It must be awful," said Damian, his eyes filled with sorrow. "But Mayer was already a fugitive, there's an entire manhunt for him. You mark my words, he'll be caught soon enough. And he'll pay for everything that he's done."

"Well, that's not good enough. I don't trust the police, or even the FBI for that matter, and I can't stand the thought that he might get away."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "I understand, but I'm not really sure what we can do."

"C'mon, Damian," said Luke firmly, "You know people. You're probably tied with Lucinda Walsh for most connected person in town, and you don't play by the rules. If anyone can find Col. Mayer, it's you."

Luke's biological father eyed him apprehensively before speaking. "My illegal dealings have put you in danger, Luke. I'm not willing to make the same mistake again. We need to stay out of this and let the cops do their job."

"You also saved my life once," Luke pointed out. "Look, I'm not talking about hunting down the Colonel ourselves," he continued, noting to himself that the outright lies have finally begun. "I just want you to find him and report to the police, because _he has to be brought to be justice_. And I'm anything but certain that that's going to happen."

At this, Damian bit his lip and shook his head in resignation. "How can I say no, after what he's done to you? I'll make some phone calls."

Luke exhaled. "Thank you," he said emotionally.

Damian returned to his seat and began making the calls, Luke taking the chair opposite his desk and waiting. He forced himself to be patient as the minutes passed by. Damian knew all the crooks… he'd get the job done.

After what had to be at least half an hour of phone conversations, Damian finally put the receiver down and met Luke's eyes with an accomplished look. "Got it. Mayer's still in town… he was spotted leaving a shed right across from Mill Road."

"Next to the bridge," mumbled Luke. _Not smart, Colonel, not smart at all… you should have gotten the hell out of Dodge._

"That's right. I'm gonna call Margo Hughes, hopefully he's still there and they can bring him in immediately." "Wait," said Luke firmly, "I wanna do it. I wanna make the call."

A moment's hesitation, then Damian nodded. Luke picked up the receiver and dialed 911. However, he covered the phone with his palm as he did, and surreptitiously disconnected the call. Damian didn't seem to notice.

Luke proceeded to carry on a fake 'conversation' where he asked to speak to Margo, and then gave her the Colonel's whereabouts. He even pretended to argue with her about not disclosing his source of information. After hanging up, supposedly, he looked up at Damian. "God, I hope he's there… I wish I could see the look on his face when he gets caught."

"He'll be regretting his actions very soon," stated Damian. "And hopefully, they'll find the body, so we can give Noah a proper funeral." Luke nodded sadly. "Anyway, you go home and let your parents take care of you. You deserve time to rest, and grieve."

Luke offered him the barest of smiles. "Thanks again, Damian, I can't tell you how much this means."

As he exited the office, Luke contemplated his slight guilt. Damian had really come through for him recently, saved his and Noah's lives – _no, just my life_, he realized bitterly – and here he was lying to, in fact manipulating his biological father. However, he stubbornly told himself to get over it. This was a necessary evil… and didn't come close to the evil he was trying to correct.

Luke did realize that his next task was going to be more complicated. Whereas lies and subterfuge had been enough with Damian, he'd have to tell the truth this time, and rely solely on his powers of persuasion. And he couldn't afford to screw it up. Winston Mayer was not going to live to see tomorrow if he had a say about it.

*

The omelet Casey had made himself for breakfast smelled good, but he found himself merely playing with his fork, lacking appetite. The news of Noah's death had been devastating… and even more than Casey was pained over the loss of his friend, he was worried about Luke, who must have been out of his mind with grief. Casey had come over to comfort him, but Luke's father explained that he didn't want to see anyone. Understandable, so Casey did not press the issue, but still worrying… Casey was pretty certain that Luke shouldn't be alone right now.

His thoughts were put to a halt when the doorbell rang. Casey abandoned his untouched breakfast and went to open the door. He had not expected to find Luke on the porch.

"Hey, Case," Luke greeted him quietly.

"Luke…" Casey quickly pulled him into a one-armed hug. "Are you okay?"

"No, not really," Luke admitted in a half-sob.

"I am so, so sorry about Noah," Casey muttered, patting him on the back. "I'm really gonna miss him."

"I know."

After they broke apart, Casey invited Luke inside, closing the door behind them.

"I know you stopped by yesterday, I appreciate that," said Luke, "I just wasn't really in a condition to talk to anybody."  
"Don't worry about it, man," said Casey dismissively, concern etched into his face. "Listen, if there's anything you need – anything at all – just ask, alright?"

"Funny you should say that, because I do need something," Luke opened. Might as well get down to the issue. Every minute he wasted was another minute of Col. Mayer walking free, not to mention that he could flee Oakdale and Luke would lose him completely. "I realize you're not gonna like it, but I have to ask."

"Whatever you need," Casey replied immediately, "Just shoot."

After steeling himself, Luke said, "I need a gun. Your mom's a police lieutenant, I know she's got one in the house."

"A gun?" Casey looked at him questioningly. "Why? You think Noah's dad is about to come after you, too?"

This would have actually been the perfect lie to latch onto. It made total sense and Casey would probably agree to help. But somehow, Luke _couldn't_ lie. He'd managed it with Damian, but Casey had been his friend for so long… he cared so much, was so willing to help in any way he could, that Luke had to be honest. _Fuck it._ Luke had to tell the truth and hope he wouldn't regret it.

"No," he said, struggling to maintain eye contact with Casey. "I'm going after _him_."

Silence. But only for a moment. "You're - _what?_" Casey snapped. "You can't be serious." Luke said nothing. "Oh my God… Luke, do you hear yourself? What the hell's gotten into you?"

"I can't just stand by and do nothing!" Luke shouted desperately, no longer able to hold it together. "Think about what he's done, Casey… _he's a murderer!_ He's already killed two people - his own son and ex-wife - plus trying to kill me twice, and Dusty Donovan, too."

"Right," said Casey sharply, shaking his head in disbelief. "Like this is about justice and not revenge."

"And if it's about revenge?" Luke retorted, forcing himself to speak calmly, without shouting or shaking. "Is that really so wrong?"

"It's not gonna bring Noah back, and it's not gonna give you any kind of peace," Casey stated, somewhat harshly. "Actually, do you even realize what's gonna happen if you go after the Colonel? At best, you're gonna end up in jail; at worst, you're gonna end up in the morgue!"

"Like Noah, right?" said Luke acidly. He was now running on pure, raw anger. Casey just stared at him, stunned at the words coming out of his mouth. "And you know what, Casey, I have no idea where this self-righteous bullshit is coming from. You're the one who's always gung-ho about illegal gambling, stealing elections or beating people up… I thought if anyone would understand why I have to do this, it's you."

"Well, maybe I've learned my lesson," Casey shot back. After a beat, he pleaded, "Luke, you have to stop. You're a wreck right now - you should be, your boyfriend was murdered. You're not thinking rationally."

"Winston Mayer needs to die. That's pretty rational, don't you think?"

Casey heaved a frustrated sigh and turned his back on his friend. He didn't know how to get through to Luke, to make him see what his grief what doing to him, and what a mistake it would be to give in.

"You know, he was your friend too," Luke added. "So I think it's your responsibility to do what you can to make sure his killer doesn't get away. It's the least you can do for him." He realized that in many ways, he was now manipulating Casey as well, and didn't feel remotely good about it. But he couldn't stop, not now.

Casey stared at the wall, not wanting to face Luke again, to take in that broken, haunted face. In desperation, he went to the last resort. "This whole thing is about Noah, Luke. But what if he knew what you're about to do? Do you think he would feel like you're honoring his memory?" In spite of himself, he turned around to glare at Luke. "Do you think he would want you to do this?"

Luke didn't flinch, his eyes as cold as ice. "Noah's dead, Case. So I don't know what he would have wanted, and frankly, I don't really care."

Chills were running down Casey's spine now; it was hard to keep himself from visibly shivering. He cast his eyes downward, losing yet another staring contest to Luke. He knew the right thing to do was to turn Luke down. But he couldn't afford to make it about right and wrong, not now… at the moment, with what Luke was going through, he had to make it about being a good friend.

"I'll get the gun," Casey mumbled, hating himself for it, "Wait here."

A couple of minutes later, Casey placed a semi-automatic pistol and a clip in Luke's hands. He gave Luke a brief explanation of how to load and fire the weapon.

"The good thing is, you only have to load it when you're out of ammo. No need to load it between shots, it does that for you… hence, semi-automatic," Casey finished.

"Sounds like you know how to handle this thing," said Luke, his voice somewhat indifferent.

"You pick up a few things in prison," Casey rather gravely noted. "Listen, I should go with you. You gotta have backup for something like this."

"No," Luke replied firmly. "It's my fight, Casey, you shouldn't be risking your life too… you could get into enough trouble just over giving me the gun."

Casey didn't have the strength to argue with him anymore. "Well, at least tell me where you're going." At Luke's annoyed expression, he added, "I'm serious, okay? I need to know where you are in case something goes wrong."

"Fine… there's a shed right across the bridge on Mill Road. I'll be there. But no calling the cops on me."

"Hey," Casey protested, "I got you this far, didn't I? A little trust, please."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Luke shook his head at himself. "Casey, thanks for this." He touched Casey's shoulder briefly, still feeling like a bit of a jerk for his earlier words.

"I just hope you know what you're doing," Casey cautioned, "Because you've seen what this guy is capable of. He could kill you where you stand."

Luke tucked the gun into the waistband of his jeans. "Let him try."

Tbc…


	4. Chapter 4

Casey lay on the couch in his house's living room, his head in Alison's lap. Both of them were uncharacteristically quiet in light of what had happened to Noah, not really in the mood for conversation. Casey was only due at the hospital in a couple of hours, and frankly, he had never looked forward to going to work more; he desperately needed something to take his mind off both the very subject of Noah's death, and his earlier meeting with Luke.

He had not told Ali anything about said meeting. He was not proud of what he'd done, far from it, yet at the same time he wasn't willing to take any verbal abuse for it. And he knew it would surely come; he loved Ali, but she wasn't the type to understand something like this, quite the opposite. She would berate him for enabling Luke to pursue such a dangerous course of action, and he was worried enough about the outcome of the situation without having her pile on the guilt as well.

He was distracted by the sound of his mother's heels clinking their way into the room. He and Ali quickly disentangled themselves from one another to avoid embarrassment, and looked up at Margo nonchalantly. Casey noticed that she was still dressed in the black suit she had arrived home in.

"Mom?" he addressed her. "Are you going back to the station? You only got here like ten minutes ago."

"I know, I just got a call - there's been… a development," she said slowly, picking up her purse. Casey realized that she looked shell-shocked. "I have to stop by the Snyders' house, then I'm headed to the station."

"Mrs. Hughes, are you okay?" asked a concerned-looking Ali.

"I'm fine," said Margo, "As a matter of fact, the two of you need to hear this." After a beat, she continued. "We've apprehended an associate of Col. Mayer's, a Dr. Timothy Lange, who's apparently been in contact with him since he arrived in town. He's being interrogated now. He hasn't given up Mayer's location yet, but he did tell us something else." She eyed them both apprehensively, clearly not knowing how to say whatever she was about to say.

Casey looked at his girlfriend in confusion, then back at Margo. "Mom, what's going on?"

*

Not a lot of people used Mill Road these days, Luke realized as he steered the wheel; the area was rather empty. Makes sense that Col. Mayer would pick a place like this. But he hadn't been careful enough.

Unable to find a parking spot, Luke parked his car illegally a few feet from the shed. Like he gave a shit about possibly getting a ticket right now. He turned off his engine, left the car and approached the shed carefully, glancing left and right as he did. There was no one around as far as he could tell. The shed itself looked old and grimy, like it had been abandoned for a long time. Again, this was hardly surprising.

Reaching the door, Luke took hold of the knob and turned it slowly. The door was locked, as Luke had expected. Fortunately, Damian – in protective mode after Luke was held captive by Zac and Zoe – had taught him a few 'survival skills', including how to pick locks; he'd insisted that it could come in handy someday. Also fortunately, Luke, knowing he'd most likely have some lock-picking to do here, had brought along a paper clip.

He fished it out of his pocket and began fidgeting with the lock. He took his time, doing it as quietly as he could; if he alerted the Colonel to his arrival, he was most likely dead before he started. After a minute or so, he succeeded in opening the lock.

Luke paused to pull out his handgun and insert the magazine, loading it. Then, after bracing himself, he pulled the door open in a slow motion and entered. As soon as he had closed the door behind him, making minimal noise in the process, Luke gripped the gun with both hands and began advancing inside.

It was rather dark; only one window across the room let in the daylight. His eyes slowly adjusting, Luke began to make out his environment, though it pretty much looked as abandoned as it had from the outside. The shed was filled with garbage, old and useless items of all sorts. No sign that Col. Mayer was using the place. No sign of the Colonel himself, either.

That didn't last long, however. The diminished sight only enhanced Luke's hearing – and he spun around as soon as he heard the door open behind him. He didn't need proper lighting to be able to recognize the figure standing at the entrance… the face he loathed so much.

"Well, well, well," said Col. Mayer by way of greeting, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

*

"Oh, come on!" cried Casey, honking his horn. The last thing he and Ali could afford right now was to get stuck in traffic.

Following the conversation with his mother, Casey immediately tried to call Luke, but to no avail. Left with no alternative, he decided to go after Luke – but Ali found him on the porch before he left, demanding to know what was going on. During moments like this, Casey hated the fact that his girlfriend knew him so well.

Not having the time to waste on deflecting her questions, Casey told Ali everything. She insisted on coming with him and, in the interest of finding Luke as quickly as possible, he didn't argue. Now the question was whether they'd manage it in time.

"His phone's still going straight to voicemail," Ali informed him in an anxious voice.

"Shit," he mumbled, ready to explode with frustration. After a moment, he shot her a wary glance; she was quietly fuming out of the passenger seat window.

"So, you're not gonna kick my ass for my part in all of this?" he half-seriously asked.

She didn't look at him. "We'll have enough time for that later. Right now, we have to get to Luke before it's too late."  
That they did. Casey stared back at the road ahead and grumbled, slamming his foot to the gas pedal.

*

With enormous effort, Luke kept his face blank and indifferent as he stared the Colonel down. He needed to stay calm, focused. He had a simple task – to kill this man – and he couldn't afford to get sidetracked by letting the Colonel get under his skin in any way.

"I think you know why," he said coldly, raising his pistol so it was pointing at the Colonel's forehead. "It's about time you were made to pay for your crimes."

"Oh, this is about Noah, isn't it?" said the Colonel, this tone perfectly conversational. "It must be awful… you have my sympathies, truly."

Luke could already feel his face contorting in rage, his grip on the pistol getting harder to maintain. The Colonel took a few steps towards him and Luke immediately backed up, keeping a few feet's distance between them. He'd watched enough action movies to know that if you were too close to the person you were holding at gunpoint, they could grab the gun out of your hands. He wasn't going to be that stupid.

The Colonel crooked an eyebrow. "So what are you doing here, Luke?" he thumbed his nose at the gun. "Surely, not trying to kill me?"

"Why, you're smarter than I thought," Luke sneered.

"You can't be serious…" To Luke's shock, the Colonel began laughing out loud. "I'm sorry, but this is hilarious… am I supposed to be intimidated? Beg for my life from some limp-wristed fairy who can't even handle a gu –"

His sentence was cut off by Luke putting a bullet straight in his left kneecap.

Luke was shaking all over, the fury flooding him making it hard to even stand up straight. He couldn't bear the thought that this piece of inhuman filth was the same flesh and blood as his beloved Noah, couldn't wrap his head around it. But as the Colonel fell to the floor, screaming and clutching his knee in pain, Luke suddenly felt more confident. He was in control now. It was immensely satisfying.

"If you change your mind about begging for your life, now would be a good time," Luke suggested, his eyes burning with contempt now.

"It doesn't – even – matter," the Colonel snarled, in between labored breaths. "You think killing me would make a difference? Nothing is going to change what you are, boy… you're nothing more than a pervert… a sick individual with no place in this world…"

"Right… _noted_," Luke spat out. "But what I still don't understand is how you could do what you did to Noah. It's one thing to be a murdering psychopath, Colonel, but your own son? How can anyone be that monstrous, that evil?" before he knew it, anger was taking over him again. "_Tell me_, dammnit!"

"I did it, because I had no choice," said the Colonel venomously. "I've always known when difficult choices had to be made, which is something people like you will never understand. You saddled Noah with the same sickness you have, and I saved him the only way I could… he's dead because of _you_! It's your fault that he became another pervert – another animal – "

"SHUT UP!" Luke yelled, before shooting the Colonel in the other kneecap.

The Colonel's screams of pain began anew, and Luke wasn't the least bit horrified by them. On the contrary - he found a sick, perverted pleasure in the man's suffering. Somewhere deep inside him, a voice was crying out that this was wrong, warning him that he was crossing the line to the point of no return, but Luke shut it out without hesitation. All that mattered right now was _hurt him as much as possible… hurt him for what he did to Noah… hurt him until he begs for mercy…_

"This is gonna end now," Luke seethed, steely-eyed. "Noah fell for you too many times… he let you mess with his head, because you were his father. I'm not gonna make the same mistake."

He stepped forward – no need to worry about the Colonel getting the gun when he was writhing on the floor – and looked him in the eye fearlessly. "You murdered the man I loved, and thought you could get away with it." He lip quivered, but only slightly. "Well, you thought wrong."

He pointed the gun right between the Colonel's eyes.

"Luke, don't!"

He froze at the sound of Ali's voice. Confused, Luke slowly swiveled his head around to spot Casey and Ali, who had just entered the shed.

"I don't understand… what are you guys doing here?" asked a befuddled Luke, following momentary silence.

"We came to stop you," explained Casey, "Luke, my mom talked to us – "

"There we go again," Luke cut him off, flaring up at once. "Another round of this good Samaritan crap. I'm supposed to just forget everything the Colonel did to me… I'm supposed to just let him go, because it's_the right thing to do_! You know what, Case, just tell me why…" he glared at the Colonel's pitiful form, still convulsing in pain. "Give me _one good reason_ I shouldn't kill this son of a bitch right now!"

Casey took a deep breath before speaking. "Because Noah's alive."

Tbc…


	5. Chapter 5

It took several moments for Luke to fully process the words that had just come out of Casey's mouth.

"What?" he blurted out, his voice shaky. "What are you talking about?" He was terrified that this was a lie, a cruel joke at his expense… that he would get his hopes up and then it wouldn't be true.

"He's alive, Luke," Casey repeated, rather emotionally. "My mom told us they've arrested some guy, some doctor, who's been helping this scumbag," he indicated Col. Mayer, "And he admitted that the plan wasn't to kill Noah. The Colonel just wanted you to think he was dead."

Luke lowered the gun and shook his head to himself, trying hard to grasp all of it. He was already getting weak in the knees, and not in the good way. "But why?" he asked helplessly, before turning to the Colonel, rage flooding his eyes once more. "_Why?!_"

"To hurt you," Ali realized. She looked horrified. "He knew that it would rip you apart if you lost Noah… didn't you?" she asked the Colonel angrily, before turning back to Luke. "This whole thing wasn't meant to hurt Noah… it was meant to hurt you."

The Colonel just grinned in that maddeningly self-satisfied way of his.

"You bastard…" Luke muttered, and raised his gun again. He was fighting to keep himself from crying or yelling, or maybe both at the same time. "You _fucking_bastard…"

"Luke, stop," pleaded Ali. "Don't do this."

"Why not? He would," Luke retorted, his glare boring holes into the Colonel's skull.

"You're not him!" she protested in agitation. "You don't kill people just because you'd rather not have them in the world."

"He deserves to die," Luke insisted, but his words were coming in between fast breaths by now; they weren't as confident as he'd have liked.

"Yeah, he does," allowed Casey, "But you don't deserve to become a killer for him."

Torn inside, Luke bowed his head down in an attempt to think rationally. He wanted to kill the Colonel so very much, it was almost scary… yet what Casey and Ali were saying made sense…

"Do you remember what I said back at my house? About what Noah would have wanted?" Casey continued. "Well, _he's not dead_, Luke, and he needs you. The Colonel wants to tear you guys apart, that's what he always wanted… if you pull that trigger, they're gonna lock you up for life, and then he wins anyway." As Luke began shaking, Casey held out of his hand. "C'mon, man, just give me the gun."

A beat, then Luke slowly handed the pistol to Casey. Ali stepped forward to pull Luke into a hug. He glanced over her shoulder at the Colonel, his face filled with more hatred than he had thought he was capable of.

"So, are you satisfied, boy?" the Colonel managed to snark through his pain. "Now that you've proven you're so much better than me?"

"He doesn't need to prove anything," Ali said sharply, pulling away from Luke. "He's _not_ like you."

Casey leveled the pistol at the Colonel again. "Where's Noah?" he demanded, in a tone that will brook no dissent.

"He's safe… you and your faggot friend can never hurt him again," spat the Colonel.

It took every ounce of self-restraint in Luke not to forget about guns and simply lurch forward to throttle the man with his bare hands.

"Watch your mouth," Casey snarled, before noisily cocking the gun to make his seriousness clear. "_Where's Noah?_"

"Wait," said Ali suddenly. "What's this?"

Casey's eyes traveled over to her, and he realized what she was pointing at: a black oriental carpet on the far side of the room. There was so little light inside the shed, it was no wonder they hadn't noticed it until now.

"You spent time on interior design, Colonel?" asked Casey, raising an eyebrow.

Ali walked over to the carpet and pushed it away with her foot, to reveal a trap door embedded in the floor. Luke quickly joined her, staring at the door in surprise.

"No – " the Colonel gasped, suddenly panicking. "Don't go there – stay away from it, do you hear me?!"

"Hey, fuckface," Casey seethed, "Nobody's asking for your opinion."

Luke bent down and pulled the trap door open with some effort. His eyes landed on a narrow wooden staircase leading to a subbasement.

"C'mon," said Ali, taking his hand to lead him downstairs.

The room they found themselves in after descending the stairs was even darker than the one they'd just vacated, given that there wasn't a single window. Luke felt along the wall, his hand landing on a light switch after a few seconds. He flicked it on, and his heart immediately skipped a beat.

They were in a makeshift medical room, filled with equipment and supplies. And lying on a bed in the middle of it, hooked up to several monitors and machines, was an unconscious Noah.

"Noah?" Luke breathed, quickly stepping forward to take his boyfriend's hand. He was asleep, but didn't appear to be hurt in any way. Luke's anxiety ebbed away a little.

Ali examined the monitors for a moment. "He's in a medically induced coma," she realized.

"What?" asked Luke, unwilling to look at her and thus have to take his eyes off Noah. "Why would the Colonel…" he trailed off, too confused and too focused on Noah to concentrate on the issue. As long as he knew that Noah was going to be all right, it didn't really matter to him, certainly not at the moment.

Ali whipped out her cell phone and called an ambulance. Luke only vaguely heard her, his attention devoted exclusively to the comatose Noah. He raised his hand to lightly caress his boyfriend's cheek.

"You're gonna be okay, baby, do you hear me?" he promised, once again struggling not to cry. "You're gonna be okay."

Tbc...


	6. Chapter 6

"So your vitals are good," Alison told Noah with a smile, "Unless something unexpected happens, you'll be able to go home tomorrow morning."

He grumbled. "Any chance I can go home right now? I feel fine."

"Dr. Robinson said we should keep you for observation," Ali explained, her tone apologetic. "Just to be on the safe side."

Noah sighed in resignation. He was lying in a hospital bed yet again, and with no memory of the last day and a half. The last thing he remembered was being attacked just before he made it to Java… by his own supposedly dead father. There was the shock, panic, and pain from the needle inserted into his skin, then he woke up all groggy at the hospital.

Ali filled in some of the blanks, as did Luke's parents when they stopped by; they explained that Luke was being questioned at the police station, a notion that surprised and scared Noah in itself. Apparently, Col. Mayer really was alive, and after abducting Noah, led everyone to believe he had killed his son. As it that wasn't enough, the police uncovered another murder committed by the Colonel to obtain the money with which he paid his associate, a Dr. Timothy Lange.

Noah's eyes barely flickered at the sound of all of this. Maybe he was so shocked, maybe it was so much to take at once, that he didn't immediately react. Or maybe he didn't even allow himself to be surprised anymore, having accepted that his father's evil was a bottomless pit… that there was nothing he wouldn't do in the name of what he believed to be right.

As for what happened afterwards, Ali revealed that Luke had decided to go after Col. Mayer himself, and that she and Casey learned Noah was alive and stopped him just in time. Then they found the comatose Noah.

Just when Noah was thinking how much he needed to see his boyfriend right now, Luke finally walked into the room, and Noah experienced a wonderful sense of relief. "Hey!"

Luke strode over to him, looking worn-down and concerned. "Noah, I am so sorry I couldn't get here earlier…" he pressed a feather-light kiss to Noah's lips before resting his hand on Noah's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… better now that you're here."

"That would be my cue to leave," Ali bashfully said. "Noah, if you need anything, you've got the call button."

Noah smiled softly. "Thanks for everything, Ali."

"No sweat." She gave Luke a quick kiss on the cheek. "Bye, Luke."

Luke half-heartedly waved to her as she left the room. There was an uncomfortable silence, the sort you get in situations that are just too much for any words to be appropriate.

Noah ended up breaking the ice. "You know, I'm getting really sick of being kidnapped and ending up at the hospital. At this rate, my boss is totally gonna fire me."

Luke snickered, surprised that Noah was trying to make light of the situation, but deciding to play along. "Yeah, you're like a movie character with all these kidnappings, aren't you?"

"More like a soap opera character," Noah groaned.

In spite of himself, Luke let out a light, good-natured laugh, before kneeling down beside Noah's bed as to be able to look at him more easily. Despite not really wanting to, he proceeded with the next question. "Did Ali tell you everything?"

"She gave me the cliff notes version," noted Noah quietly. "I can't believe my father made you think I was dead… I shouldn't put anything past him, huh?"

Luke closed his eyes in pain; he knew the ostensibly light-hearted attitude was just a cover for how hurt and angry Noah was inside, but there wasn't much he could say.

"Anyway," Noah continued, now in a noticeably calmer tone, "Bet he didn't expect you to catch him." To his surprise, Luke just looked sad. "Hey," he reached to take Luke's hand, "_You saved me_. How about you try being a little proud of yourself, Snyder?"

"Yeah," Luke murmured with a smile – that smile of his Noah had long known to be a fake one. He knew his boyfriend was troubled at the moment, and it wasn't just about being shaken up by the experience, or fearing the consequences of having taken the law into his own hands. This was something… deeper.

"Are you alright?" Noah asked, making his words gentle enough that Luke knew he didn't have to say anything.

Luke just shook his head slowly, looking rather lost. It took a few moments for him to speak. "When I thought you were dead – that he killed you – it was like my mind focused on one thing: to get revenge. It took over me… and I just let it." A pause, but Noah silently waited for him to continue. "At first I was using Damian and Casey; I had to find the Colonel and I needed a gun, so I just used them like it was no big deal, like they meant nothing to me. And then I went after him, to kill him, and I…" he trailed off again.

"Luke, what happened in that shed?"

"I went in there knowing I want him dead, and when I saw that smug face of his, knowing – thinking – he killed you, I couldn't control myself anymore," Luke stammered, his voice shaky. "I shot him in the kneecap… then in the other one… and I _was_ gonna kill him, I wasn't gonna stop."

"Luke – " Noah began to interrupt.

"Just hear me out, alright?" Luke pleaded, making a visible effort not to break down right there and then. "I hurt him, I saw him lying there in pain and it didn't shake me up at all, Noah. It felt _good_ to see him suffering like that, like he made us suffer. And deep down, it scared the hell out of me - I knew I was losing myself… but I didn't care, because I'd already lost you."

Noah felt his eyes moisten a little. There were a lot of things he knew how to do well. To watch Luke hurting was not one of them.

Eventually, Luke managed to regain his composure. "This whole thing just made me realize… I take for granted that I'm such a better person than the Colonel is, but look what I did. I put myself on the exact same level as him. I was ready to become a murderer."

"You're _nothing_ like my father," said Noah in a firm voice. Luke just shook his head skeptically, but Noah was undeterred. "Listen to me. I'm not saying what you did wasn't wrong, but it's far from being the same. You thought I'd been murdered, and you went off the rails, you wanted revenge. It can happen to anyone. I know it would have happened to me if it had been you." He paused for a long intake of breath. "The things my father did – killing my mother because she was a prostitute, trying to kill you because he thought you were the reason I was gay, everything – he wasn't doing any of it in the middle of a crisis, he was crystal clear. These were the things he chose to believe, and what he chose to do for the sake of them. That's not you. That'll never be you."

The look on Luke's face was an unmistakable indication of how deeply affected he was. He made a small sound somewhere between a sob and a chuckle. "How is it that whenever I'm a complete mess, you always know the right thing to say?" he asked.

"Because I'm smart like that," Noah easily replied, before his cheeky grin gave way for a more earnest expression. "And because I know you… the way you do when you love someone."

A minute or so of silence. They were content to just look into each other's eyes and say nothing.

Then, Luke seemed to remember something. "Well, what do you know?" he brightly stated. "I forgot about the treats I got you." He reached for a brown paper bag he had placed on the floor; Noah realized he must have been so happy to see Luke arrive that he hadn't noticed it. "I made a couple of stops on my way here from the police station… let's see." He pulled out a massive cup. "Here's your extra-large iced coffee from Java – Jeff says hi, by the way, he was totally psyched to hear you're alive. And here…" he pulled out a smaller bag. "Is a whole batch of my grandmother's brownies. They're all yours; in fact, she threatened to kill me if I even take one."

Noah snort-laughed as Luke placed the iced coffee and cookies beside him. "You're awesome. Thanks." However, he noticed that Luke looked a little upset again. "What?"

"Nothing… it's just, my family was mad at me for slightly more serious stuff, too." He buried his face in his palm. "My mom, dad, both of my grandmothers, and even Damian pretty much took turns ripping me a new one for what I did. Damian was more angry than anyone; I lied to him, I don't know how he's gonna trust me again after this. And then I got Casey in trouble, too…"

"Hey," Noah said emotionally, giving him a significant look. "It's gonna be okay." Off Luke's sigh, he added, "The good news is, if everything goes according to plan, I'm gonna be released tomorrow morning."

This successfully cheered Luke up somewhat. "I can't wait to have you home," he said gratefully. After a beat, he reached to ruffle Noah's hair a little. "While you're here, is there anything else you need?

"Are you kidding me?" said Noah with a grin, "I've got an extra-large iced coffee in June, I've got a whole bag of Emma's brownies… and I've got you." He squeezed Luke's hand affectionately. "What else can a guy ask for?"

Luke just gave a bittersweet smile.

_Statesville penitentiary, two weeks later _

"Noah?"

Col. Mayer looked positively stunned to see his son behind the glass, as Noah sat down on the other side of it and picked up the receiver.

"How are your kneecaps?" Noah asked, not sounding like he really cared.

"Son, I'm fine," said the Colonel, all but handwaving the question. "I'm just so glad you came – I was starting to worry that I'd never see you again – "

"Spare me, Dad," Noah said coldly, "I mean it. I didn't come here for a family reunion. If you think I missed you when I believed you were dead…" he shook his head.

The Colonel seemed unwilling to accept this. "It must have caused you some pain. And I wish it didn't have to be that way – "

"At first, yeah," Noah cut across from him again. He was determined to stay in charge of this conversation. "I grieved for you, and I was hurting, you have no idea how much. I almost left Luke because of you – yeah, I know you think that would have been terrific. But when I got my head on straight, I realized you meant nothing to me anymore. And that's the way it is."

The Colonel looked momentarily chastised, and Noah seized the opportunity to go on. "Anyway, it doesn't matter… I just came here to ask you a simple question." He paused, but again, the Colonel didn't say anything. "Why? Why'd you do it?"

"I realize what you must think," the Colonel insisted, "That what I did was horrific, and Noah, I don't deny it. But can't you see why it was necessary? That boy plagued your life, he _poisoned_ you!"

"So, what?" demanded Noah, putting extra effort into subduing the rage inside him. If there was one thing he owed his father, it was his capability to suppress his emotions. "You kidnap me, you make everyone think I'm dead? You're really so sick that you'd do all of that just to get back at Luke?"

"He needed to pay," gritted the Colonel, "He deserved it… but Noah, I did it for _you_. I was hoping that if I got you away from that boy's influence, I could find some treatment – a way to help you – "

"So you put me in a coma?!" shot Noah in cold fury.

"I knew you wouldn't let me help you, so it had to be done this way," the Colonel said desperately, and his voice reaffirmed Noah's realization that his father truly believed his own words. "I was trying to save you, son!"

Noah absorbed this for a couple of seconds. Then, he leaned closer to the glass, with unmistakable contempt in his eyes. "The only thing I ever needed saving from was _you_."

For the first time, he thought he saw some pain – perhaps even regret? – in the Colonel's expression. Or maybe he was imagining it. "All I've ever done was meant to protect you, to make an honorable man out of you. I'm sorry for the pain my actions caused you, if only it could have been avoided… but there was never a choice."

"That has to be the closest thing to an apology I've ever heard from you," said Noah, his words positively dripping with bitterness. "But you're too late, Dad… about twenty years too late." By now, his eyes were watering slightly, but there was no way in hell he was going to shed a single tear in front of his father. "And it's not just the past, it's not just the way you treated me all my life or what you did to my mother and Luke. It's having to prove to myself every day that I'm not like you, that I'm never gonna be. It's having to know you're my father, and live with it."

The silence that followed this statement was lengthy and heavy. Finally, the Colonel, sounding rather defeated, mumbled, "I accept it if you can never forgive me, Noah. I just need to know that you understand, that you don't hate me."

"Well, you're out of luck, then," Noah said harshly, without a hint of sympathy, "Because I'm never gonna understand, Dad, not in a million years… and you have no idea how much I hate you."

He stood up, not flinching at the devastated look on his father's face. After a moment, he added, "You should know, by the way… the justice department is going to seek the death penalty for you this time. So this might be goodbye."

"Oh, it won't happen," said the Colonel quickly, as if to reassure Noah. "You don't need to worry about that…"

"You don't get it, do you? I'm not scared for you. The death penalty is exactly what you deserve." Noah just stared at the Colonel, his face calm and callous. "But actually, it doesn't even matter if they execute you or not… you're dead to me anyway."

Without waiting for a reaction, he replaced the receiver and left the room.

As Noah stepped out of the building and into the prison courtyard, he was grateful for the summer sun, as the morning breeze felt a little chillier than usual. He walked through the courtyard for a few moments before spotting Luke on a bench several feet away.

As he came near his boyfriend, Noah realized Luke was finishing a phone call. "That's awesome, thank you so much, Grandmother…" Luke noticed Noah. "Listen, I have to go, I'll see you back at home, alright? Bye."

"Hey. Was that Lucinda?" asked Noah, as Luke hung up the call.

"Yeah," confirmed Luke, his tone mildly cheery. He stood up and slid his cell back into his pocket. "Looks like the lawyers she got me managed to negotiate a deal. Lots of community service, but no time here – " he indicated the prison, " – so I'm definitely not complaining."

"That's great!" said Noah happily, patting Luke's arm. His face fell slightly as he added, "Um, is there any news about Casey?"

"Well, the good thing is, his probation was already over by the time this whole thing happened – so he's not going back here, either. I guess he and I will be picking out trash on the highway together." Luke smiled glumly.

"I'm just glad I didn't lose you," muttered Noah, before pulling his boyfriend into a hug.

"Right back atcha," said Luke quietly.

As they pulled away, Luke sighed before wondering, "So, how'd it go with your father?"

Noah didn't really know how to reply. "As well as I could have expected, I guess," he shrugged. "I mean, it was hard, but… at least it's over."

A sad-looking Luke brought up his hand to brush it against his boyfriend's cheek. "Are you okay?"

"No, not really," Noah admitted, his voice breaking just slightly. "But you know what…" he took Luke's hand in his, not caring about anyone who might stare at them out here, "I think I'm gonna be."

They smiled faintly at each other, before walking away, hand-in-hand, never once looking back.

- End


End file.
